Saturday up the Pack

 

 

Hard to believe that August comes the day after tomorrow. 

But then again, with grasshoppers flying all over the place, plums turning from red to purple, and temps soaring day after day into the 90s, I guess we're on schedule. 

Plus, a wonderful sunflower show has begun here at the Lovestead, and that makes some brilliant and lovely color in late summer. 

Yesterday, Bill and I decided to beat the heat by loading up Foster along with some munchies/beverages and heading to Upper Pack River. 

He told me the road had been graded and covered with dust abatement. 

That made for a pleasant and pretty trip most of the way because all the bushes and shrubs were clean and dustless. 

Eventually, that abatement ended and dust-laden landscape began. We finally pulled off at a spot where a foot bridge leads bikers and hikers up a trail toward Chimney Rock. 

Several cars sat in the parking lot----Idaho, Washington and Pennsylvania plates. 

Bill found a place to park over in the shade.  We walked a little further into a shaded enclosure where he set up the chairs and his Yeti cold chest. 

We then took little Foster to the stream, thinking he must be thirsty, but the little guy wasn't interested. 

Some other people were there from Kootenai County with their two young labs, which were enjoying some water fetching. 

We visited with them for a while and then sat in the shade, munching, sipping, relaxing and enjoying the comparatively cool air. 

During that time, a biker came down the trail, across the bridge and to the parking lot with his dog running behind.  

The cyclist got off the bike and let it drop to the ground while the dog with its tongue hanging out followed suit. He fired up his truck, opening all the windows. 

I left our "old people's picnic area," as Bill called it and walked over for a short visit.  

Turns out the man, with his dog following, had biked for about three miles and then hiked the rest of the way to Chimney Rock, which he had climbed. 

He said he's made the climb several times. 

Other hikers came down the trail later, but we stayed in the shade while they loaded up and went on their way. 

We finally packed up and drove on up the road to the trail head for Harrison Lake.  We must have seen at least 15 cars parked in every available spot before and after the trail head.  

Had to have been a busy day on that trail yesterday. 

Our little adventure ended around 5 p.m. with the temperature reading 93 as we pulled back into the driveway and let our other two dogs out of their run.

 After Liam and Bridie had some time to enjoy their freedom, they went into the house, and I started the regimen of walking the hot lane three times to bring up the horses. 

Each day involves 12 times back and forth on that lane with horses in hand.  It's not so bad in the morning, but during the heat, I'm always ready to go in the house and wash off the perspiration. 

All in all, it was an unremarkable but enjoyable Saturday.  Today both the beat and the heat and the harvesting go on from July toward August. 

Happy Saturday.